
Biden 'proud' of Biinken after tense exchange with Chinese officials
CNN
President Joe Biden said Friday he was "proud" of Secretary of State Tony Blinken, a day after the top US diplomat pushed back against Chinese officials in an unusually public and tense diplomatic exchange.
"I'm very proud of the secretary of state," Biden said when asked by reporters on the South Lawn for his reaction to the first day of talks, which started with a blistering exchange on Thursday in Anchorage, Alaska, and continue Friday. The extraordinary interaction unfolded in front of reporters at the start of Thursday's meetings when Chinese officials ignored protocol to rebut Blinken's description of Washington's "deep concerns" about some of China's actions and vociferously criticize the US, the state of its democracy and domestic racial tensions. Blinken then brought the cameras back into the room to offer his own, unscripted rebuttal from the Chinese officials.
Janet Mills and her allies are counting on a gender gap to narrow Platner’s wide lead ahead of the June 9 primary to decide who will face incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins. They are betting that the unfiltered style that has brought Platner widespread attention as someone who could help Democrats reach young men will backfire with women.

As a shrinking number of Transportation Security Administration agents work to keep hourslong security lines moving despite not being paid, President Donald Trump stepped into the fray Saturday, announcing he will send Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to airports by Monday if Congress doesn’t agree to a plan to end the partial government shutdown.











